feminism -1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes; 2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests; 3 : anything that differentiates women from doormats; 4 : the radical idea that women are people and that all people are capable of treating one another fairly without regard to gender; 5 : movements and personal actions that eradicate misogyny, create love, spread peace, accept women as powerful, make movements, shake patriarchy, and generally make everyone feel awesome.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

I've been wanting to write about my experiences as a male feminist for quite some time now. Yes, I am a cisgender male. Yes, it is impossible for me to have exactly the same experiences as a cisgender woman. If I decide to stay as a cisgender male, I will never give birth to a child, menstruate, experience many forms of sexist discrimination, worry about my safety while walking across campus at night, etc. etc.

I realize this. I wanted to make that disclaimer before I continue so as to let people know what I am aware of the discrepancy between the discrimination (or lack thereof) that I will face in my lifetime as compared to that of many many women. In order to write about feminism, I must identify where I am coming from (the perspective of a male) and use my experiences to speak about topics such as women's rights. If I don't, then I think that discredits a lot of what I have to say. Sure, I can talk about inequalities, but I can't truthfully say "I have experienced this firsthand". Of course I've learned about gender inequalities in many of my classes and have witnessed these injustices happen to my female friends and relatives, but I am not a woman.

That being said, I am a feminist. You don't have to be a woman and firsthand experience these inequalities in order to identify them. In fact, I find it irresponsible to identify these inequalities and then sit idly by and do nothing to change them.

Indulge me as I speak about my experiences as a male feminist.

I'd like to speak in particular about people's reactions to feminism. When I was tabling for IC feminists at the student organizational fair, many people came up to me to point out that I am a boy.

"There's men in the club?" some asked."There's a boy next to a box of tampons? Where I come from, that doesn't happen." said one young woman from Jamaica. "Can I pick up chicks at the feminist meetings?" one young man asked.Oh, and rest assured. I got plenty of "WTF" looks.

Then there's the people who came up to the IC feminist table just to get a laugh out of their friends several feet away. That was fun.

"Men tabling at the feminist club, that's so great!!" said several people.

It is this last instance that I would like to talk more about. I got a lot of positive reactions from people who were pleasantly surprised to see a man handing out information about feminism. I got some compliments and encouragement from IC faculty. It made me feel good.

Then I thought to myself, "Why is this a big deal?". To answer that thought, it's not. I find it unfortunate that when you find one man who cares about gender equality, it's cause for praise. These people who gave me verbal encouragement were kind, but it just reminded me how unfortunate it is that my gender surprised them. I'd like to see so many women AND men caring about gender inequality that no one would look twice when they see a boy sitting next to a box of tampons.

When I talk to people about our campus feminist group, a common question I'm asked is "How many boys are in the group?". I answer them politely, but what I would like to say is "Why the hell does that matter? Does having a large representation of males in the group make it more legitimate?"

I know people mean well, but it just bothers me when people ask those questions. I know they're curious, as I would be too. Before I started going to meetings, I wondered if I would feel out of place. It's a natural thing to wonder about... but it just makes me itchy when people ask it.

It's great when men self-identify as feminists, but when it's cause for celebration, then you know something is wrong with society.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

One may ask "But, why would I want to dampen a positive mood by learning about an upsetting topic?"

I'm glad you asked!Well frankly, because it matters. Plus, I view awareness about societal restraints as a positive thing, rather than a negative one. Sure, it isn't a positive issue to read about, but knowledge is power. I believe in recognizing problems rather than glazing over them. I believe in identifying them, confronting them, discussing them, and solving them. I believe in addressing the issue head on, instead of letting it be this big, scary, and mysterious force that has power over us.

So, there you have it.

Also, here's this kick-ass modern artist who combines her knowledge of math, ecology, and the social sciences to make some amazing political statements.

Oh, and one more thing! If anyone has any sexist ads that they happen to stumble upon whilst thumbing through a magazine, please save them and give them to us! We're going to need lots of sexist ads for our Shred Sexism event. It's unfortunate enough that we are bombarded with these negative images, so why not use them to make a political statement?

Who are the IC Feminists?

IC Feminists is an independent group devoted to social, political, and economic equality for individuals of all sexes and genders. Our mission is to involve feminists on campus in issues of concern regarding gender equality, family politics, abortion, sexual rights, grrl power, women in office, breaking glass ceilings, redefinign 'feminist", sexual assault policies, birth control, media, and any other topics of interest to our members. IC Feminists strives to provide a high level of community connection and service with partner organizations downtown, and to provide workshops and speakers for Ithaca College students which increase their sense of ownership in a more equal society. We are committed to providing the space and power of many to make a difference, through local and global political action, volunteer work, personal inquiry, and peer education to ensure that feminist voices can be heard.